Will.i.am takes swipe at 'empty' X Factor ahead of The Voice launch

The 42-year-old producer slammed music mogul Cowell at the press launch of The Voice UK, with its seventh series hitting screens this Saturday.

Speaking at a Q&A session attended by other journalists, the Black Eyed Peas frontman explained how the UK edition of the chair-spinning show was better than other talent shows.

"It's a higher quality offering of performers and artists because it's not about poking fun at folks that kind of want to sing and don't really get it," he said.

"The consistency is always there and I'm proud to be on the UK Voice. it's better than all the other Voices."

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“As farmers we cultivate juicy ripe oranges for you. You could buy a box, but who wants to buy a motherf***ing box?!”

Will.i.am

In a thinly-veiled dig at other rival singing shows, he added: "Yeah, it's like if this was a farmer's show, this is the fruit, and the other show's are just the boxes.

"As farmers we cultivate juicy ripe oranges for you. You could buy a box, but who wants to buy a motherf***ing box?!

"It's the best show on TV, phone, tablet, whatever you choose to watch it on."

Will is the longest-serving coach on The Voice UK, having sat on the panel since the show's inception in 2012, and he insists that the upcoming series is the best one yet.

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"The bar is a ten and a bunch of nines," he said. "It never dips below a six. There's no sixes. Although a six is an upside-down nine, depending on how you look at it."

In yet another panel change, this year Will is joined by Troublemaker singer Olly Murs, who makes his debut alongside returning judges Jennifer Hudson and Tom Jones.

And Olly, who previously shot to fame in 2009's edition of The X Factor, has been similarly scathing about former mentor Cowell.

Hinting at their rumoured feud, the 33-year-old said: "Simon knows where I am, he's got my telephone number, he knows how to reach me if he wants a chat but he probably won't so…but he's going to watch the show and be like, hello, and he ain't going to be happy.

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"We can't compare the shows. We'll compare the shows when we finish this season, and then let's see who our winner is."

In another swipe at the X Factor's harsher criticism from their judging panel, he added: "We're not judging, we're coaching and that's the difference," he added. "We're not going to turn around and say 'Yo, you're rubbish.'

"You don't see that on any other show because we're coaching and we're not necessarily being mean or horrible, we're trying to help them."